We Are Losing the Art of Developing Relationships! (Part Three)

re·la·tion·ship (noun)

The way in which two or more concepts, objects, or people are connected, or the state of being connected.

Who do you really know?

Who do you really trust?

Who can you truly count on?

Those you really know, trust, and can count on are most likely your authentic relationships. In the final part of this relationship series we will explore the developing and cultivating of these critically important authentic relationships. Authenticity is becoming increasingly difficult to develop and even more difficult to sustain.

Actually, even coming up with a definition for an authentic relationship is difficult and any stock dictionary definition just doesn’t capture it fully. So, let’s attempt to define it by behaviors associated with authenticity and an authentic relationship. (You know it when you see it or experience it).

You know the relationship is most likely authentic when:

Trust is established and continually shown

Mutual success is defined and aligned

You can count on that person no matter what the circumstance might be

You hear and say, “How can I help?” a lot

You get out of your daily world and into to theirs for a deeper understanding and connection

Relationship and outcomes are equally important

The Strengths of Authentic Relationships

They stand the test of time and adversity

There is enhanced accountability by all parties

They eliminate blame, justification, and excuses

The Possible Pitfalls of Authentic Relationships

Ongoing time must be invested in developing and cultivating or else authentic will migrate to transactional

Must assess if the targeted relationship and impact of that relationship warrants the significant time required to develop

Unfortunately, as we have outlined in this series of Leading Relationships, we are losing the art of developing meaningful relationships. We often let technology, social media, or others in our sphere of influence try to develop our relationships and connections for us. Don’t fall into that trap of mistaking communication for connecting, it is very different. Also, not all relationships are created equally, so understanding the definition of each type of relationship, its strengths and pitfalls will assist you when, where, and why you invest your very valuable relationship building and cultivation time.

Cornerstone Learning is a performance and leadership consulting organization that has worked with clients all over the world. Our focus is working with individuals and organizations to create performance solutions that deliver top-tier results by inspiring, enabling, and developing employee-led, leader supported, and organization enabled performance. We are able to successfully deliver this through multiple products and services such as employee surveys, online training, performance assessments, and performance coaching. The goal at Cornerstone Learning is to assist our clients in developing a dynamic and customized blue print to deliver role model organizational and personal performance.